Has a car been scrapped or written off?
In the UK a car is assessed following an accident by the driver’s insurance company. Depending on the level of damage the insurer may choose to write off the vehicle.
Crash Damage Categories
The level of damage is cateogorised as follows
- CAT A – vehicle needs scrapping / crushing – cannot be repaired
- CAT B – shell needs scrapping – some other parts can be resold as salvage – cannot be repaired
- CAT S – (previously CAT C) – repairable, but costs will exceed value of vehicle – can be resold
- CAT N – (previously CAT D) – repairable, costs high but vehicle could be roadworthy again – can be resold
Category S (was Cat C) and Category N (was Cat D) vehicles often make their way back to the road and can be legally sold. Unfortunately a buyer may not be aware that the vehicle they are buying has been written off & repaired. This may result in expensive repair bills or even an unsafe vehicle. A worrying fact – 1 in 4 cars checked by the RAC have hidden history … Please make use of our affiliate partners and have a full vehicle history check with insurance guarantee. These services also report if a vehicle has ever been stolen and recovered or worse – still missing. Don’t buy a stolen car – get a vehicle history check from MyCarCheck.com or HPI Check.
